Mine-door.



C. W. CARMAN.

MINE DOOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. um.

Patented Sept. 18,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. W. CARMAN MINE DOOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 19. 1917.

1,240,541. Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- C. W. CARMAN.

MINE DOOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. I917.

1,240,541. Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT {OFFICE CHARLES W. CARMAN, OF NEWBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIANA QARMAN, OF NEWBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

MINE-DOOR.

This invention relates to mine doors of that type which are adapted to be placed in headings to insure of a circulation of pure air throughout the mine.

The invention more particularly contemplates certain improvements in the structural arrangement and method of operation of the mine-doorshown and described in Patent Number 981,035, granted to nee-on August 17, 1909.

In the use of the door constructed'in accordance with the above mentioned patent a number of more or less serious defects manifested themselves which precluded the possibility of this door operatinginan entirely successful manner. Principal among these defects was that entirely too great a weight was required to be placed upon the depression rail to raise the door from its lowered position, the cars, when approaching the door, unless being heavily loaded, failing to raise the door quickly and positivcly, as is necessary. Furthermore, when sufficient weight was applied to operate the door from a lowered to a raised position to permit the passage of the car therethrough, such weight would cause the parts of the apparatus to bind so tightly, particularly the depression rail against the main rail, that the door would not close after the car had passed through the same. These defects in operation were due principally to the faulty arrangement of the levers, rods, etc. for

raising the door upon the approach of a car upon the depression rail, and it is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to notonly provide improved means for obviating these defects, as well as others of a lesser degree, but to also generally improve and simplify the entire apparatus.

Among the features 'of novelty of the invention is the provision ofmeans whichinay be operated manually, upon stoppageof a car upon the depression rail, for any reason whatever, to permit and cause the door to be moved to a closed position, it being understood that normally the door is held in a Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 18 1917 Application filed February 19, 1917. Serial No. 149,635.

raised position throughout the length of time the car remains on the depression rail.

.A further feature of novelty resides in the provision of means whereby various parts of the apparatus may be relatively adjusted, thereby providing for its efficient operation under varying conditions of use.

The invention consists in the provision of a door, a depression rail, and lever means arranged so as to raise or lower the door as the rail is depressed or released, and it is an other object of the invention to provide means to insure of a smooth operation of the door and levers asthe railis actuated, thereby providing for eflicient operation and longevityofthe apparatus. With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists'in the novel fea tures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the ac com panying drawings, and claimed.

:In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation. of the'invention with parts broken away to either side of the door. 1

Fig.. 1 is a similar view illustrating the construction toone. side of the door in it entirety.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fi 2.

Fig. lis a fragmentary plan of a'portion of the track.

Fig. '5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, wherein is illustrated the'preferred embodiment of the invention, v1 and 2 designate'the rails of a track over which the cars carrying the products of the mine travel. As will be understood, the track is arranged in the tunnel of the mine, and the door to be presently described in detail is arranged across the track so as to close the tunnel at all times except whenone. or-more of they cars is "to be moved by the same. 7

The door is made. up of a' frame comprising side beams 3 and 4 and a post 5, the said beams and post being connected at their upper ends by a cross beam 6, While the beams 3 and 4: are. connected. at'their lower ends by a second cross beam 7 constituting a tie for the rails of the track.

Near their upper ends the beams 3 and at and post 5 are provided with alined bearings S in which is journaled a shaft 9 which extends transversely over the track and has mounted thereon, between the beams 3 and at, a roller 10. Carried by this roller is a door 11 in the nature of a curtain, preferably made of canvas or other similar material which is strengthened and stiffened by transverse strips or slats 12. Channel members 13 are secured to the inner faces of the beams 3 and lto receive and guide the curtain as it is raised or lowered upon rotation of the roller. 7

As before stated, the beam 7 constitutes a tie for the rails l and 2, the said rails being supported upon the ties is and passing between the beams 3 and d, as is illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The board 15, forming the lower edge of the door, is therefore cut away as at, 16 to receive the rails when the door is in a lowered or closed position to insure of the same engaging the beam 7 to provide a comparatively tight contact therewith.

Fixed to the shaft 9, adjacent the beam &, is a sprocket wheel 17 over which passes a sprocket chain 18, the said chain being extended downwardly and passed over a second relatively larger sprocket wheel. 19 fixed to a shaft 20 which is journaled in bearings 21 carried by the beam t and post The shaft 9' also has'fixed thereon a pulley 22 to which is secured one end of a chain or cable 23, the same being relatively long and carrying at its free end a weight 245, the purpose of which will presently appear.

A pair of integrally cast rollers and 26 are fixed to the shaft :20, and the latter has passed thereover a chain or cable 27. This chain is trained over an idler roller 28 suitably oarried by the beam i and has secured to its free end a weight 29, the purpose of which will likewise appear hereinafter.

The rail 2 is terminated a suitable dis tance from either side of the door frame, and its continuance from such terminations is provided for by the pair of angle irons 30 and 31 which pass between the beams 3 and 4t and are suitably secured to the ties 1% and beam 7 in facing relation, being spaced and held in such position by the brace members 3 These angle irons not only form a continuation of the rail '2 adjacent the door, but also act as guide members for a depression rail 33 which is arranged between the angle irons and is adapted for vertical movement, the upper edge thereof normally resting above the upper edges of the angle irons. This depression rail is rigid throughout its length and may be made up of a plurality of sections securely riveted together. It is also of slightly less length than the angle irons 3O and3l and has pivotally connected thereto, at each end, as at 34, a link 35,"the free end of which is pro vided with a pin 36 riding in slots 37 in the angle irons, adjacent their ends.

At spaced intervals along the rail 33 the same has secured thereto depending members which are connected by links 39 with the outer ends ofarms 4E0, the inner ends of which are fixed to shafts 41 extending to one side of the depression rail and belng supported for rotation in bearing members openings providing for adjustment, as will be understood. The remaining levers 43 are adjustable relatively to the rod by reason of the provision of the plates at? having the plurality of openings lS therein, through any one of hich the pin 49 may be passed.

The chain 27, after being passed over the roller 26, is extended and secured, as by means of the clip 50, to the upper end of the lever d3 nearest the door.

It will be understood that the arrangement of levers and rods is the same to either side of the door so as to operate the same upon the approach of a car from either'direction, the only difference beingthat'instead of each of the levers 43 nearest the door upon either side having a chain 27 sec red thereto and being provided with a weight, but one of the chains is provided with a weight while the other is directly fastened to the roller 25, the single weight acting as a counterbalance for both sets of levers and rods, due to the fact that both rollers 25 and 26, being cast integral, are rotated upon depression of the rail 33 from either side .of the door.

' It is thought from the foregoing that the operation of the apparatus will be apparent. As the car approaches the door from either direction and moves up the link onto the depression rail 33 the same is moved downwardly, and through the instrumentality'of the links 39, arms l0 and shafts 4:1,th8 levers l3 are swung rearwardly, thereby moving the rods 4A. As these rods are moved the chains 27 passing over the rollers 25 and 26 cause the same to rotate and impart a rotary movement to the sprocket tain thereon to open the door, as will be obvious. As the shaft 9 is rotated the roller 22 winds the chain 23 thereon and raises the weight 24. Thus, when the car passes through the door and leaves the depression rail this weight will act to rotate the shaft 9 in a reverse direction and return all of-the parts of the apparatus to a normal position.

A hand wheel 51 is mounted on one end of the shaft 9 whereby the curtain may be manually operated, and in order to insure against too great a movement of the curtain to either a raised or lowered position a connecting chain 52 is provided to connect .opposite portions of the sprocket chain 18, said chain 52 being adapted for engagement with either of the sprockets 17 or 19.

Should the car for any reason become stopped on the depression rail, which would cause the door to remain open for an undesirable length of time, it is only necessary to remove the pins connecting the clips 50 with the levers 43 to permit the weight 24: to operate the door to a closed position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is thought that the construction and operation of the improved mine-door will be clearly understood, and while I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination, a track, a roller, a door to be wound upon said roller, a shaft, a roller on said shaft, an operative connection between said shaft and said first roller, and means to be actuated by a vehicle passing over the track for rotating the shaft, said means including a lever and a chain connected therewith and passing over the last roller, removable pins being provided for connecting the chain to the lever, for the purpose set forth.

2. An automatic mine-door, comprising,

in combination, a door, a track including a depression rail, a roller upon which the door is adapted to be wound, a shaft, an operative connection between the depression rail and shaft, a lever fixed to said shaft, a rod, an

adjustable connection between the rod and lever, and an adjustable connection between the rod and roller, substantially as described.

3. An automatic door for mines, comprising, in combination, a track including a depression rail, a shaft having a roller thereon upon which the door is adapted to be wound, a second shaft, an operative connection between the depression rail and said last shaft, sprocket wheels on said shafts, a sprocket chain connecting said sprocket wheels, and a second chain connecting opposite portions of said sprocket chain, for the purpose set forth.

4. An automatic door for mines, comprising, in combination, a track, a shaft having a roller thereon upon which the 7 door is adapted to be wound, means automatically,

actuable by a vehicle passing over the track for operating the door, and a hand-wheel on the shaft whereby the roller may be manually operated.

5. An automatic minedoor, comprising, in combination, a door, a track including a rigid depression rail extending to either side of the door,'a shaft having a roller thereon upon which the door is adapted to be wound,

a second roller on said shaft, a chain having one end secured to the roller and carrying a weight at its other end, a second shaft, sprocket wheels on each of said shafts, a chain connecting said sprocket wheels, shafts extending to one side of the depression rail, means operatively connecting the depression rail with the shafts, levers carried by said last shafts, rods connecting said levers, roll- I ers on said second shaft, a chain having one end secured to one of said last mentioned rollers and its other end secured to one of said levers to one side of the door, a cham having one end secured to one ofthe levers to the opposite side of the door and passing over the second roller on said second shaft, and a weight carried by the other end. of

said last chain.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two wltnesses.

C. W. CAR-MAN.

Copies oi. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addrcssingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, G. 

